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DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION
QUEENSLAND RESOURCE
RECOVERY INDUSTRIES
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The Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning
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© State of Queensland, Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, April 2019.
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Phone: 13QGOV (13 74 68)
Email: info@dsdmip.qld.gov.au
Web: www.dsdmip.qld.gov.au
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Foreword
We're committed to supporting new and innovative solutions to our collective waste challenge and ensuring the correct incentives are in place to drive investment into resource recovery industries.
Our aim is to make Queensland a world leader in projects involving resource recovery, recycling and the remanufacturing of materials and to support our
Broad and diverse, resource recovery industries impact many sectors. The supply chain commences with the design of products and, following initial use, continues through collection and sorting processes, to the
Part of a suite of wider government activities, the Resource Recovery Industries
A key action under the draft Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy, the Roadmap sets out a plan for supporting industry growth and job creation in resource recovery industries over the next 10 years.
Economically, we know that by supporting resource recovery industries to grow, new jobs will be generated for our communities and businesses can confidently invest in Queensland. By encouraging investment and innovation in the waste industry we'll also deliver
The recently launched $100 million Resource Recovery Industry Development Program (RRIDP) is a complementary initiative to the Roadmap and acts to accelerate the growth of resource recovery industries that increase recycling activities, divert waste from landfill and reduce stockpiling in Queensland.
The RRIDP and other targeted incentives will ensure Queensland attracts industry investment to support ongoing economic growth, the creation of new jobs, and upskilling opportunities for the workforce, as well as building capacity and new markets in regional areas
of Queensland.
As our government looks to build a sustainable economy, initiatives like this not only support the development of new industries, they support Queensland investment and jobs by creating new products from waste, growing industry and reducing the impact on our environment.
The Hon. Cameron Dick MP
Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning
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Growing Queensland’s resource recovery industries
WASTE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY INDUSTRIES
KEY ACTIONS AND DATES
CURRENT
●●• Climate change policy
●●•
●●• Container refund scheme
●●• Local Government Levy Ready Grants Program
●●• $100M Resource Recovery Industries Development Program fund announced
2019
●●FEBRUARY
•Draft Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy (public consultation)
●●MARCH
•$5M Waste to Biofutures Fund (W2B Fund)
●●MAY
•Draft Resource Recovery Industries
●●JUNE
•Queensland Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy
●●JULY
•Waste Levy commences
•Resource Recovery Industries
•
●●SEPTEMBER
•Queensland Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan
•Resource Recycling Transport Assistance Package
●●DECEMBER
•
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Contents
Foreword |
1 |
Growing Queensland’s resource recovery industries |
3 |
Resource recovery industries: Our vision |
6 |
Resource recovery industries in Queensland |
8 |
Waste as a resource |
13 |
The circular economy |
16 |
Actions to date |
18 |
Queensland resource recovery industries: |
|
The opportunity |
22 |
Queensland resource recovery industries: |
|
The challenges |
24 |
Queensland resource recovery industries |
|
roadmap actions |
26 |
Actions supporting Strategy 1: |
|
Accelerating the project pipeline |
27 |
Actions supporting Strategy 2: |
|
Market and supply chain development |
29 |
Actions supporting Strategy 3: |
|
Responsive policy and legislative framework |
31 |
Actions supporting Strategy 4: |
|
Advancing new technologies |
31 |
Roadmap |
32 |
Definitions |
34 |
Glossary |
34 |
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Resource recovery industries: Our vision
Our vision is for a sustainable resource recovery industry sector that provides measurable economic and environmental benefits to the Queensland economy, creates new jobs, provides upskilling opportunities for the workforce and builds capacity and new markets in regional areas of Queensland.
The ongoing development of markets for recycled and repurposed material through investment in modern efficient facilities and processes will reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and will assist Queensland to become a
Working closely with industry and other stakeholders, we've developed a series of roadmaps focused on emerging priority sectors with global growth potential. The Resource Recovery Industries
The Roadmap provides industry and other stakeholders with an overview of our plan to expand and enhance this established industry sector, and support new technologies for it to grow. It will guide the sustainable growth
and development of Queensland’s resource recovery industries by facilitating investment and
These actions will provide business and industry with the confidence to invest in Queensland, creating new jobs, providing upskilling opportunities for the workforce, and building capacity and new markets in regional areas of the state.
Delivery of the Resource Recovery Industries
In financial year (FY) 2018, 55 per cent of waste was sent to landfill and 45 per cent of waste was recovered for other uses.
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We're committed to supporting resource recovery industries to meet the waste avoidance and recovery targets set by the Waste Strategy.
The Waste Strategy will provide a comprehensive and coordinated framework to deliver on the principles of the circular economy. This includes actions to avoid waste and to assist with
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Resource recovery industries in Queensland
Resource recovery1 is the general term for the process of collecting useful wastes and
Resource recovery industries encompass the full waste supply chain, from collection and transfer to sorting, remanufacturing and the production of EfW.
Current resource recovery industries environment
In Queensland, the most common facilities undertaking resource recovery activities are composting facilities for organics (mostly open windrow), material recycling facilities (MRF) for specific recyclable materials; and construction and demolition waste processing facilities. There are discrete facilities using technologies such as anaerobic digestion,
We're actively looking for opportunities to support new resource recovery sector projects through programs such as the RRIDP and industry development activities. Government will support industry to overcome some of the typical barriers encountered by emerging or new technologies, including access to funding, business case development, commercialisation partnerships and the
Development of new resource recovery facilities generally requires a
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RESOURCE RECOVERY INDUSTRIES SUPPLY CHAIN
ENERGY
RECOVERY
RECYCLE
REMANUFACTURE
REPAIR
RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITIES
RAW MATERIAL |
PRODUCT |
PRODUCT |
USED PRODUCT |
|
EXTRACTION |
MATERIAL |
MANUFACTURE |
USE |
(WASTE) |
Conventional manufacturing
RAW MATERIALS |
LANDFILL |
|
|
Source: adapted from the Scottish Institute for Remanufacture (W. Ijomah et al 2007)
land development), transport planning and adherence to environmental regulations and policy.
The development pathway for new facilities varies according to the facility type, scale and location. However, it can run over several years as activities related to business case development, procurement and approvals are undertaken. These include market supply and demand studies, planning approvals, securing a suitable site, finding investment partners, contract tendering, and facility design and construction.
Some of the more advanced processing facilities represent significant capital investments and are only
available, making them more challenging to implement in regional Queensland.
By working to ensure the rapid establishment of
Resource recovery actions can extend the life of existing landfills and reduce the need for new landfills while also helping to maximise the value from waste materials.
Resource recovery delays the need to use raw materials in the manufacturing process as quality recovered materials can be used as an input substitute.
1Resource recovery: when energy, a material or a product is taken from waste and
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Resource recovery includes energy recovery from waste, although recycling and
Some waste types are more valuable and suitable for recovery than others and can move across regional boundaries. For example,
and cardboard (PAC) waste and plastic waste is exported interstate or internationally for reprocessing.
Besides price, other drivers for interstate or international waste transfer include the availability of specialist resource recovery or remanufacturing facilities, regulations, landfill acceptance criteria and landfill gate specifications.
Recovered organic waste product, such as compost, and recycled waste from built environment activities is mostly processed and utilised closer to the source of generation. This is due to the high costs of transporting these waste materials, relative to the value of the material.
WASTE HIERARCHY
The waste hierarchy framework guides the order of preference for managing waste. It prioritises in this order: the avoidance of unnecessary resource consumption; the reduction of waste generation and disposal; the
MOST PREFERABLE
LEAST PREFERABLE
AVOID
REDUCE
RECYCLE
RECOVER
TREAT
DISPOSE
Source: Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (Qld), section 9
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In the current linear
Waste will follow the path of least cost, and for many materials that leads to landfill.
Historically, Queensland hasn't had strong or stable policy drivers in place to drive resource recovery or discourage landfilling of waste. This position has led to a significant discrepancy between waste policy and outcomes in Queensland and other mainland states. It has also resulted in market conditions that haven't supported the development of facilities to reprocess waste materials or remanufacture from recovered resources.
Although EfW is a lower priority on the waste hierarchy, proven technological processes can provide a viable alternative to landfill and stockpiling of wastes that can't be viably recycled or
Fortunately, Queensland is a leader in biofuels and bioenergy production and is home to several biomass energy facilities fuelled by bagasse as well as ethanol from sugarcane waste. We're working to enlarge the emerging biotechnology and bioproducts industry through business development support and funding opportunities. These initiatives are outlined in the Queensland Biofutures
There is a natural
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Waste as a resource
Households, businesses, institutions and organisations generate waste. Waste generators are grouped into three major waste streams depending on the source: municipal solid waste (MSW), construction and demolition waste (C&D) and commercial and industrial (C&I) waste.
Municipal solid waste (MSW):
Waste produced primarily by households and collected by on behalf of local councils. It includes other waste generated by local councils such as from
Commercial and industrial waste (C&I):
Waste produced by institutions and businesses, including industries, restaurants and offices.
Construction and demolition waste (C&D):
Waste generated from building and construction activities, including road and rail construction and excavations.
Putting a higher price on waste materials will incentivise investment in new processes and facilities, stimulate economic activity in the sector, create new jobs, and divert waste from landfill.
The Waste Strategy sets ambitious targets for the achievement of greater resource recovery across each waste stream and set a
The proportions of different materials contributing to each waste stream will differ, as will the resource recovery potential. For example, most glass waste is generated by households (MSW), while source material in the C&D waste stream is predominantly concrete, brick and soils generated by the building industry.
We've identified three priority wastes: organic waste, waste from built environment activities and plastic waste. These waste types significantly contribute to landfill volumes and environmental impacts while having unrealised recovery potential, and therefore the greatest opportunity to contribute to recycling targets.
|
WASTE DIVERTED FROM LANDFILL, TARGETS BY WASTE STREAM |
|||||
WASTE |
|
MUNICIPAL |
COMMERCIAL AND |
CONSTRUCTION AND |
TOTAL |
|
STREAM > |
SOLID WASTE |
INDUSTRIAL WASTE |
DEMOLITION WASTE |
|||
BASELINE |
> |
31% |
48% |
51% |
45% |
|
|
FY2018 |
FY2018 |
FY2018 |
FY2018 |
||
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
70% |
80% |
85% |
80% |
|
TARGET |
> |
2030 |
2030 |
2030 |
2030 |
|
95% |
95% |
85% |
90% |
|||
|
||||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
2050 |
2050 |
2050 |
2050 |
|
Source: (Queensland Waste Strategy – key performance targets, QTC, 2018)
Note: These rates reflect the proportion of waste that's recycled or recovered, excluding material from which energy is recovered.
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CORE WASTE TYPES IN QUEENSLAND2
PAPER AND CARDBOARD
Established markets exist in Queensland for recovered paper and cardboard (PAC),
although recovery rates need to improve if we're to meet our recycling targets as set in the Waste Strategy.
Despite having a paper mill that exclusively uses recovered fibre feedstock, Queensland has one of the lowest recovery rates across all Australian states and territories.
Of the PAC waste collected for recycling in Queensland each year, more than half is sent interstate or overseas. Changing global markets and more stringent quality standards on recovered recyclables have significantly impacted the export market for recycled waste materials from Australia, including from Queensland.
GLASS
Most glass waste (74 per cent) is generated by
households5. Glass recovered in South East Queensland (SEQ) is reprocessed into new products. Outside of SEQ, glass is increasingly being reprocessed into secondary sand products used in road construction or as bedding sand.
While glass waste isn't a major contributor to the total waste generated in Queensland, more effective collection processes and less contamination will ensure improved recovery rates.
BUILT ENVIRONMENT WASTE (PRIORITY WASTE)
In Queensland, built environment waste4 comes from major commercial or residential
developments, road and transport projects undertaken by or for state or local government, and
Built environment waste comprises waste types such as concrete, bricks, rubble, contaminated soil, timber,
plasterboard and
It's also one of the easier streams to recycle. There is strong market demand for clean, recycled concrete aggregates, especially in SEQ, as major contractors and government seek to meet their sustainability targets. The introduction of the Waste Levy will encourage greater investment in reprocessing facilities and equipment in SEQ. However, challenges will remain for regional areas with smaller scale building and construction activity.
Built environment waste types will either be
ORGANIC WASTE (PRIORITY WASTE)
Organic waste includes food, garden and agricultural waste. Organic waste from food
is the largest type of waste by weight in MSW. Most food waste comes from households and the general community. Other generators of food waste include food manufacturers and hospitality and food service businesses.
Food and other organic waste can be used in the production of compost or as feedstock for technologies that create biofuels or bioenergy. The production of compost accounts for most of the organics currently recovered but is a challenging business in Queensland due to
For example, anaerobic digestion technologies, commonly used in the UK, Europe and other countries to produce biofuels and bioenergy from other organic waste, also present an opportunity for Queensland.
Greater recycling of organics presents an economic opportunity but will require a change in collection systems and the adoption of proven technological advancements in processing methods.
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PLASTIC WASTE (PRIORITY WASTE)
Plastic can be recycled back to its previous form (bottles, containers) or used to produce
other products such as furniture, building materials or as an element in road pavements, although only small volumes are recycled into new products in Queensland.
ELECTRONIC AND BATTERY WASTE
The quantity of used batteries is rapidly growing across Australia and the volumes of electrical equipment and battery waste going into Australian landfills are increasing. Around 70 per cent of the toxic chemicals found in landfill are a result of batteries and other
Disposing of batteries and
TYRE WASTE
Tyres are a regulated waste in Queensland.
Most tyre waste that's recovered is shredded and exported overseas as fuel for cement kilns. Domestic recycling options are well established but constrained by market outlets for the products. Official data doesn't capture all tyre waste, and better outcomes can be achieved with the development of appropriate end markets and innovative technologies.
TEXTILE WASTE
Discarded leather and textile products, if not donated for
2The Australian Government, in its annual National Waste Report, identifies nine core waste categories and outlines the type of waste materials included in each. In Queensland, core waste categories align with the national categories, however, use slightly different terminology.
3Economic opportunities for the Queensland waste industry: final report
(figures are FY2017).
4Built environment waste is commonly called construction and demolition waste (C&D)
5Recycling and waste in Queensland 2018 (nearly 1 million tonnes of C&D waste came from interstate)
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The circular economy
As nations around the globe work on ways to reduce, identify and develop alternatives to landfill disposal, the circular economy model provides
an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable alternative to established norms.
Rather than following a linear
●avoiding waste generation (for example, banning
●designing products to last longer, be remanufactured,
●an efficient and integrated recovery, reprocessing and market cycle for waste streams that can't be avoided.
The circular economy model views materials as a valuable resource and encourages the circulation of these resources in the productive economy for as long as possible. It's about retaining value in resources and adding value to waste materials, with a preference for local use, providing opportunities for new and innovative business ideas and new types of jobs. It has the potential to transform the way we design, teach and invest, and how we buy products, gradually moving towards an economy where there's no waste and we use fewer virgin resources.
We've set a bold vision to become a
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OUTLINE OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
PRINCIPLE 1
RENEWABLES |
FINITE MATERIALS |
||
REGENERATE |
SUBSTITUTE MATERIALS |
VIRTUALISE |
RESTORE |
Renewables flow management |
|
|
Stock management |
|
|
|
|
PRINCIPLE 2
|
Farming/collection |
PARTS MANUFACTURER |
|
|
Regeneration |
Biochemical feedstock |
PRODUCT MANUFACTURER |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SERVICE MANUFACTURER |
Recycle |
|
|
|
Share |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Refurbish/manufacture |
Biogas |
|
|
|
Reuse/redistribute |
|
|
|
Maintain/prolong |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consumer |
User |
|
|
|
Collection |
Collection |
|
|
Extraction of |
|
|
|
|
biochemical feedstock |
|
|
|
PRINCIPLE 3
Minimise systemic
leakage and negative
externalities
PRINCIPLE 1
Preserve and enhance natural capital by controlling finite stocks and balancing renewable resource flows. ReSOLVE levers: regenerate, virtualise, exchange.
PRINCIPLE 2
Optimise resource yields by circulating products, components and materials in use at the highest utility at all times in both technical and biological cycles.
ReSOLVE levers: regenerate, share,
optimise, loop.
PRINCIPLE 3
Foster system effectiveness by revealing and designing out negative externalities.
All ReSOLVE levers.
Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
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Actions to date
We've already commenced setting a supportive policy environment for resource recovery industries and committed financial incentives to support the acceleration of successful projects to market. The Queensland Resource Recovery Industries Roadmap details how the Queensland Government will support the growth of new technologies and the expansion of established
industries.
QUEENSLAND WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY AND WASTE LEVY
The Queensland Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy (Waste Strategy) sets the
The Waste Strategy’s vision is for Queensland to become a
The Waste Strategy has three strategic priorities, being to:
●reduce the impact of waste on the environment and communities
●transition Queensland towards a circular economy for waste
●build economic opportunity.
Commencing on 1 July 2019, the Queensland Government Waste Levy underpins the objectives of the Waste Strategy and will be initially set at $75 per tonne of general waste sent to landfill. Combined, the Waste Strategy and the Waste Levy will act to:
●reduce the incentive to dispose of waste to landfill
●ensure material currently disposed to landfill is more attractive as a feedstock diverted to recycling and bioindustries
●facilitate and encourage waste and recycling infrastructure investment
●incentivise new industries that manufacture products for
Other Australian and international jurisdictions have achieved positive results by adopting a comprehensive waste management and resource recovery strategy accompanied by a waste levy. We've committed to ensuring the introduction of the levy will have no direct impact on households. Together, the Waste Strategy and Waste Levy will work to change waste management behaviour and,
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along with funding and other incentives, will drive the growth of resource recycling industries in Queensland.
The Waste Strategy sets ambitious targets for the reduction of waste to landfill in Queensland. Along with targeted financial incentives, it will enable the
By providing industry with an incentive to recover and recycle material currently going to landfill, new economic opportunities can be created while providing
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RESOURCE RECOVERY INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
The $100 million
The RRIDP is funded from the Waste Levy and will be used to develop a
Financial assistance will be provided for the development of eligible projects that:
●facilitate recycling activities, waste avoidance and landfill diversion (including the diversion or reduction of waste material stockpiling)
●enhance economic development opportunities through the development of advanced processing and technology capacity
●facilitate and encourage waste infrastructure investment
●promote regional market and job development opportunities.
We've announced funding directed to projects of varying scales and areas of focus. Grants will be awarded through a competitive process under three streams.
●STREAM ONE:
●STREAM TWO: Offers broader incentives to attract or expand major resource recovery operations that will divert significant amounts of waste from landfill, reduce or prevent stockpiling, and recover substantial resources.
●STREAM THREE: Assists with funding
Funds under the RRIDP could also be directed to other transformational projects as outlined under the Roadmap actions.
It's expected that a broad mix of recipients from across Queensland representing business, industry and local government will respond to the program. Rigorous assessment and ongoing program evaluation will ensure that learnings from the RRIDP will provide a feedback loop to government on the factors that enable success and ‘what works’.
THREE STREAMS | ONE OBJECTIVE
STREAM ONE
$50,000 and $5 million to provide funding for infrastructure projects, to enhance or build new facilities, or capital investments in new processing and technological capabilities.
STREAM TWO
Offers broader incentives to attract or expand major resource recovery operations that will divert significant amounts of waste from landfill, reduce or prevent stockpiling, and recover substantial resources.
STREAM THREE
Assists with funding
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QUEENSLAND WASTE TO BIOFUTURES FUND
(W2B FUND)
In 2018, we announced $5 million in funding to support the development of waste to bioproducts, biofuels and bioenergy projects in Queensland. The Queensland Waste to Biofutures Fund (W2B Fund) provides matching grants of up to $1 million for eligible projects under two funding pathways:
●Pathway 1: Grants for installation of new technology, plant and equipment.
●Pathway 2: Grants for research and collaboration projects that accelerate the commercial readiness of a Queensland biofutures facility.
The W2B Fund targets pilot, demonstration or commercially scalable projects that utilise waste to produce bioproducts, biofuels and bioenergy (including dispatchable renewable electricity). Funding is available for new greenfield facilities or for the expansion of existing facilities, and projects eligible for the W2B Fund do not need to demonstrate waste diversion from landfill. Feedstocks include
Under Funding Pathway 1, the type of projects expected to seek funding include pilot, demonstration or commercial facilities capable of processing bioproducts; for example, biochemicals or bioplastics, or bioenergy such as liquid fuels or electricity.
Under Funding Pathway 2, applications from collaborative partners could include research projects such as feedstock trials or technical and engineering assessments associated with production activities. A collaborative partnership could be a joint venture between a university and biofuel producer.
Projects from the Queensland biomanufacturing and biorefining sectors can deliver transformative environmental, economic and social outcomes for Queensland. They also may contribute to the objectives of the Advancing Queensland Priorities and the Waste Strategy by:
●enhancing the commercial development of Queensland’s biofutures industry
●increasing Queensland’s capacity in resource recovery and the production of biofuels and bioenergy, particularly in regional areas of Queensland
●moving Queensland towards a circular economy by managing materials and resources to retain value and minimise residual waste, and developing local economies.
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Queensland resource recovery industries: The opportunity
Economic value and jobs for Queensland can be created through the development of the resource recovery industries sector. Best practice examples from Queensland and other jurisdictions in Australia demonstrate the capacity for jobs to be created once waste is recovered6. For every 10,000 tonnes of waste that goes to landfill, it's estimated that fewer than three jobs are supported, but where that waste is recovered, it's estimated there are more than nine jobs created7.
SEQ has modern waste and recycling facilities and the private sector already plays a major role in the collection, transfer, disposal and processing of waste. Some regional areas of Queensland are home to leading best practice examples in organics processing, recovering a wide range of commercial, industrial and agricultural wastes. There's potential for similar facilities to be developed
in other regions and for these facilities to capture additional organic materials to support landfill diversion targets. Opportunities for more advanced resource recovery facilities in regional areas in Queensland could be supported by regional ‘hubs’ or precincts where economies of scale are realised.
Moving towards a
are developed.
Matching available skills to emerging jobs is key to accelerated industry development. New technologies and processes will provide challenges to existing operations but also opportunities to create a
4.0(the next industrial revolution) and working with other industries to transition to new technologies will provide economic benefits across Queensland.
Significant ongoing commitment from all stakeholders is required to shift the resource recovery industry towards the goal of a more circular economy. Such a transition could deliver a radical and enduring transformation of Queensland’s economy, with opportunities to increase economic output and jobs across the state.
Our ambition of a
By identifying priority waste types, we've set an agenda to accelerate change. This includes the introduction of new initiatives and incentives to separate waste and enhance the recoverability of waste streams. We'll also work with industry to develop pilot programs and demonstration projects focused on priority waste types. We'll continue to roll out the RRIDP, which acts to incentivise industry and accelerate investment into the sector.
The Waste Levy will propel positive change in Queensland by putting a price on waste and acting as a deterrent to disposing of waste to landfill. Revenue from the levy will be used to facilitate industry development, to expand and advance the resource recovery industry through direct grant funding (RRIDP), and to support other initiatives, for example, the development of resource recovery precincts in the Queensland context.
6Economic opportunities for the Queensland waste industry: final report (QTC)
7Queensland Draft Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy
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CASE STUDY
TOWNVILLE RED (TBC)
CONTENT TO COME
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Queensland resource recovery industries: The challenges
In FY2018, Queensland households, businesses and industry generated 10.9 million tonnes of waste, an 11 per cent increase from the previous year and representing a greater rate of increase than population growth8.
As Queensland’s population continues to grow and consumption increases, effective,
Around 72 per cent of Queensland’s total population reside in the
QUEENSLAND POPULATION,
REGIONS GREATER THAN 50,000 PERSONS, 2017
Cairns |
|
3,540,000 |
164,000 |
|
|
|
Townsville |
SEQ |
|
|
|
|
193,000 |
|
|
Mackay |
Rockhampton |
|
81,000 |
|
|
117,000 |
Gladstone |
|
|
|
|
|
63,000 |
|
|
Bundaberg |
|
|
95,000 |
|
Fraser Coast |
|
|
104,000 |
|
SEQ |
Gympie |
|
51,000 |
|
|
Source: QGSO Population Growth Highlights and Trends, Queensland regions 2018 |
8 Queensland Draft Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy |
*Population figures are rounded to nearest 1000. |
9 QGSO Population Growth Highlights and Trends, Queensland regions 2018 |
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Added to this are regional economic and climatic characteristics that create significant variation in the types of waste management and resource recovery facilities required. Solutions for resource recovery will need to respond to the specific issues faced by regional communities and local governments, including the very different market dynamics to those of the heavily populated SEQ region.
Although the concentration of Queensland’s population in SEQ creates a challenge, it also presents an opportunity. Waste is usually disposed close to the source of generation. With such a dense population, feedstock for resource recovery industries is assured and economic efficiencies can be attained.
Industry has identified nationwide challenges including a lack of
Current collection systems are also inadequate to deliver significant further benefits. Better segregation of waste materials at the source will have additional positive implications for MRFs due to the reduction in contamination and will create greater economic
Other
●environmental policy and regulatory consistency
●
●data limitations
●
●social licence to operate
●dynamic feedstock supplies.
Several actions are underway to ensure consistency across environmental policy and regulations for the resource recovery industry, as is work to identity appropriate
Due to limited markets for some recycled products or waste suitable for recovery, investment in the resource recovery industry has been constrained. Working across government to develop procurement policies that utilise recycled or remanufactured waste products has been identified as a first step towards developing sustainable markets for the resource recovery industries. Such an action will take a combined effort by all stakeholders.
By promoting positive outcomes, government and industry can work together to overcome challenges associated with social licence and community perceptions of the industry through the promotion of positive outcomes. Challenges related to the dynamic industry environment, e.g. where waste feedstock demand may change over time, will need to be managed by industry through appropriate risk mitigation strategies.
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Queensland resource recovery industries Roadmap actions
Our goal is to position Queensland as a leader in resource recovery, reprocessing and manufacturing over the
We'll offer industry development support to resource recovery industries looking to employ innovative technologies along the entire supply chain, from collection and transfer to sorting, re- manufacturing and
The Resource Recovery Industries
Four strategies have been identified that will enable our vision for resource recovery industries to contribute measurable economic and environmental benefits to the Queensland economy. These strategies will:
●accelerate the project pipeline
●drive the development of markets and supply chains across Queensland
●review policy and legislative frameworks to enable industry growth
●encourage the advancement of new technologies.
Strategy actions will help industry to accelerate investment decisions, modernise and enlarge current operations, enable the development and growth of new resource recovery businesses and supply chains.
The Roadmap is an action under the Waste Strategy and is focused on the implementation and delivery of projects and enabling actions. The Roadmap will identify opportunities to attract investment and create jobs to
promote the growth and sustainability of resource recovery industries.
The $100 million RRIDP complements the Roadmap. This
The Roadmap will be established, administered and delivered by a dedicated unit within the DSDMIP. This team will work collaboratively across government, industry and research institutions to drive development and investment into the resource recovery sector.
By adopting a partnership approach to the implementation of these actions and supporting initiatives, programs, workshops and services, we can guide sustainable growth in resource recovery industries and work to resolve market inefficiencies.
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ACTIONS SUPPORTING STRATEGY 1:
Accelerating the project pipeline
RESOURCE RECOVERY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Direct support for waste and resource industry development initiatives will be provided through the $100 million RRIDP. The RRIDP provides grant funding to support the acceleration of eligible projects and will
●Deliver the $100 million RRIDP over three years.
INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT
By working with proponents, we can accelerate the establishment of new resource recovery facilities and the improvement of existing facilities.
Proponents suitable for positive intervention to
Positive intervention could include business case development and market sounding, planning and locational advice, or project facilitation across government. We can further enhance the economic benefits of suitable investments by assisting proponents to establish in locations that optimise market and supply chain development.
●Provide project facilitation services to industry.
●Develop a baseline for resource recovery industries employment growth and economic impact analysis.
PRECINCT DEVELOPMENT AND GUIDELINES
The
Valuable lessons can be gained from these other jurisdictions to inform precinct development guidelines, as can the learnings gained from the facilitation of large resource recovery projects wishing to locate in Queensland. This evidence base will enable us to develop guidelines for precincts at different scales.
Several complementary actions need to occur to drive successful precinct developments and will require considerable input from across government, industry and key stakeholders. The identification of planning pathways to facilitate the development of precincts will need to be determined on a
●Identify pathways to facilitate precinct development where serviced, connected and available industrial land is in place across Queensland.
●Investigate potential locations for regional resource recovery precincts and identify the appropriate scale and support required to ensure their viability.
●Develop location strategies to ensure critical mass for precincts.
●Investigate and identify suitable industrial lands for precincts, including in regional areas, that will support technologies such as EfW production, and where these facilities are best placed to support future secondary markets.
●Building on completed research, investigate the application of global examples of circular economy precincts to the Queensland context and apply these findings to precinct development guidelines.
●Incentivise projects that align with state priorities for the sector to establish in preferred locations/precincts or to
●Promote the benefits of clustering complementary industries together. Clustering may include industries other than resource recovery industries.
●Identify policy and project facilitation gaps and work across government to ensure alignment for the achievement of key objectives.
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ACTIONS SUPPORTING STRATEGY 2:
Market and supply chain development
Roadmap actions are focused on providing direct support to industry through industry development initiatives. These actions respond to feedback from industry and other stakeholders and are further supported by the Waste Strategy.
MARKET DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRY ATTRACTION
●Deliver a comprehensive analysis of the resource recovery market sector, including the identification of supply chain efficiencies and the promotion of new market opportunities.
●Develop industry attraction programs focused on technologies and industries that will utilise recycled output to develop secondary markets for waste that are valuable and useful.
●Investigate and report on export opportunities for
●Coordinate supply chain development services and activities across the state, including customised activities to meet local regional needs, where appropriate.
●Consult with regional teams to understand issues that relate to waste management and resource recovery in their region and work to develop a model for regional hubs or precincts. This may include analysis of economic cost/benefits to locate certain facilities in regional areas.
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●Deliver business development and capability programs to enable small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and small regional councils to participate fully in market opportunities, such as workshops led by the department.
Aggregated findings arising from the RRIDP will provide government with an evidence base to support the ongoing development of successful incentives and/or initiatives. This data will also help identify gaps in the market and future opportunities as the market matures.
●Analyse aggregated data from the RRIDP to provide insights into opportunities and challenges faced by proponents to inform ongoing market development initiatives.
PROMOTION AND PROCUREMENT INITIATIVES
Government can act as a leader to other organisations through demonstration or promotion of resource recovery projects or processes. Government also has the potential to be a major consumer of recycled products or products with a recycled component.
●Promote exemplar resource recovery precincts in Queensland to demonstrate investment readiness.
●Review resource recovery initiatives on large
●Investigate opportunities for recycled products or materials to be included in government procurement policies.
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QUEENSLAND WASTE AND RESOURCE RECOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN (QWRRIP)
The QWRRIP contributes to the Department of Environment and Science’s objective to improve waste and resource recovery for Queensland through identifying the waste infrastructure needs for the state as they align with the Waste Strategy.
The QWRRIP will be a
The key goals of the QWRRIP will include:
●identifying the anticipated service needs and infrastructure investment opportunities to meet the draft Waste Strategy targets
●ensuring, where possible, only residual waste goes to landfill, consistent with the draft Waste Strategy
●setting the strategic direction and fostering innovation in delivering waste and resource recovery outcomes through an improved network of waste and resource recovery infrastructure
●identifying opportunities to build regional capacity and improve the efficient management of waste and resource recovery across Queensland
●identifying actions and data collection processes that are focused on obtaining the data required to make informed investment decisions and inform departmental policy decisions, and providing a foundation for the development of regional waste infrastructure plans
●supporting industry development and economic growth
●supporting significant investment programs into waste and resource recovery infrastructure.
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ACTIONS SUPPORTING STRATEGY 3:
Responsive policy and legislative framework
We'll review opportunities where the statutory planning framework can be used to enable growth of the resource recovery industries, particularly through the utilisation of suitably located industrial land for new facilities, including for hubs or precincts.
●Ensure planning policy documents adequately provide for the consideration of resource recovery industries needs and are supported by guidance to further assist the facilitation of resource recovery industries.
●Ensure the availability of adequate and suitable industrial land throughout Queensland is identified.
●Identify pathways to facilitate resource recovery industries that align with state priorities for the sector.
ACTIONS SUPPORTING STRATEGY 4:
Advancing new technologies
New technologies will need funding and other support to work towards commercialisation and to establish a market for products or recycled materials.
The Roadmap will advance innovative new technologies by providing links to investment funding partnerships and other programs, relationship building activities and the promotion of key achievements.
●Promote advancements in technological processes that work to drive the achievement of a
●Promote the adoption of internationally best practice technologies and processes that meet environmental and community standards.
●
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Resource Recovery
VISION |
STRENGTHS AND OPPORTUNITIES |
|
A sustainable resource recovery industry sector that provides |
● |
Existing investment in collection and |
measurable economic and environmental benefits to the Queensland |
|
transfer infrastructure |
economy, creates new jobs, provides upskilling opportunities for the |
● |
Potential to create new economic activity |
workforce, and builds capacity and new markets in regional areas. |
|
and employment |
●Waste levy provides an incentive for change
●Coordinated policy response across Queensland
●Committed investment and incentives
●Community support to move to a
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PRIMARY CHALLENGE
Supporting current industries to modernise and grow while advancing new technologies and product development in
SPECIFIC |
POLICY CONSISTENCY |
LAND USE |
||
CHALLENGES |
END MARKETS |
PLANNING CERTAINTY |
||
|
DATA |
CHANGING INDUSTRY |
OUTDATED COLLECTION |
SOCIAL LICENCE |
|
LIMITATIONS |
ENVIRONMENT |
SYSTEMS |
||
|
STRATEGY 1:
Accelerating the project pipeline
ACTIONS
●Deliver the $100 million RRIDP over three years.
●Provide project facilitation services to industry.
●Develop a baseline for resource recovery industries employment growth and economic impact analysis.
●Identify pathways to facilitate precinct development where serviced, connected and available industrial land is in place across Queensland.
●Investigate potential locations for regional resource recovery precincts and identify the appropriate scale and support required to ensure their viability.
●Develop location strategies to ensure critical mass for precincts.
●Investigate and identify suitable industrial lands for precincts, including in regional areas, that will support technologies such as EfW production, and where these facilities are best placed to support future secondary markets.
●Building on completed research, investigate the application of global examples of circular economy precincts to the Queensland context and apply these findings to precinct development guidelines.
●Incentivise projects that align with state priorities for the sector to establish in preferred locations/precincts or to
●Promote the benefits of clustering complementary industries together. Clustering may include industries other than resource recovery industries.
●Identify policy and project facilitation gaps and work across government to ensure alignment for the achievement of key objectives.
STRATEGY 2:
Market and supply chain development
ACTIONS
●Deliver a comprehensive analysis of the resource recovery market sector.
●Develop industry attraction programs focused on technologies and industries that will utilise recycled output to develop secondary markets.
●Investigate and report on export opportunities for
●Coordinate supply chain development services and activities across the state, including customised activities to meet local regional needs, where appropriate.
●Consult with regional teams to understand issues that relate to waste management and resource recovery specific to
their region.
●Deliver business development and capability programs to enable SMEs and small regional councils to participate fully in market opportunities.
●Analyse aggregated data from the RRIDP to inform ongoing market development initiatives.
●Promote exemplar resource recovery precincts in Queensland to demonstrate investment readiness.
●Review resource recovery initiatives on large
●Investigate opportunities for recycled products or materials to be included in government procurement policies.
STRATEGY 3:
Responsive policy and legislative framework
ACTIONS
●Ensure planning policy documents adequately provide for the consideration of resource recovery industries' needs and are supported by guidance to further assist the facilitation of resource recovery industries.
●Ensure the availability of adequate and suitable industrial land throughout Queensland is identified.
●Identify pathways to facilitate resource recovery industries that align with state priorities for the sector.
STRATEGY 4:
Advancing new technologies
ACTIONS
●Promote advancements in technological processes that work to drive the achievement of a
●Promote the adoption of internationally best practice technologies and processes that meet environmental and community standards.
●
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Definitions
Anaerobic digestion: putrescible waste is decomposed under anaerobic conditions in a controlled vessel and the resulting methane (or biogas) is captured and used as an energy source.
Alternate waste treatment: advanced waste processing and recovery technologies that provide an alternate management option to landfill disposal.
Bagasse: dry pulpy fibrous residue that remains after sugarcane or sorghum stalks are crushed to extract their juice. Used as a biofuel for the production of heat, energy, and electricity, and in the manufacture of pulp and building materials
Biosolids: a
C&D: construction and demolition waste, generated by demolition and building activities, including road and rail construction and excavations.
C&I: commercial and industrial waste, generated by institutions and businesses, including industries, restaurants and offices.
Diversion: waste that would usually be disposed to landfill is diverted to another more productive purpose such as reuse, recycling or energy recovery.
Dry recyclables: material such as paper/cardboard, glass, plastics and metals.
EfW:
there's an economically viable end use. Technologies can include, but aren't limited to: anaerobic digestion, combustion, pyrolysis, gasification and plasma gasification.
Ethanol: produced from biomass mostly via a fermentation process using glucose derived from sugars (sugar cane, sugar beet and molasses), starch (corn, wheat, grains) or cellulose (forest products) as raw materials. In this form, it's renewable. Synthetic ethanol can also be produced from
Feedstock: raw materials sourced as inputs for the process.
Inert waste:
MBT:
MRF: materials recovery facility, receives and sorts either
MSW: municipal solid waste, primarily household waste collected by, or on behalf of, councils. Also includes other waste collected by councils such as from
Offtake market: the market in which producers of a resource sell.
Open windrow: the production of compost by piling organic matter or biodegradable waste in long rows
Putrescible waste: organic material, including food and garden waste that will decompose as a result of the actions of microbial organisms.
Residual waste: waste that's collected separately from households in the residual (or general) waste bin for disposal to landfill.
Resource recovery centre: facility that receives reusable and recyclable materials from households and businesses that would otherwise be destined for disposal. Often combined with a transfer station for residual wastes. May include a resale centre and/or basic reprocessing activities on the same site such as mulching of green waste or crushing of concrete.
Sugarcane ethanol: an
Transfer station: facility allowing the
Source: adapted from Queensland waste and resource recovery infrastructure report (Arcadis) and Resource Recovery Industry Development Program Guidelines (Queensland Government).
Glossary
AD: Anaerobic Digestion |
FY: Financial year |
PAC: Paper and cardboard |
C&D: Construction and demolition |
MBT: Mechanical biological treatment |
SEQ: South East Queensland |
C&I: Commercial and industrial |
MRF: Material recycling facilities |
SME: Small to medium enterprises |
EfW: |
MSW: Municipal solid waste |
|
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#30287
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Resource recovery actions can extend the life of existing landfills and reduce the need for new landfill space to be developed, while also helping to maximise the value from waste materials.
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Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning
PO Box 15009 City East Qld 4002 Australia tel 13 QGOV (13 74 68) info@dsdmip.qld.gov.au
www.dsdmip.qld.gov.au
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